Zurich Citizens News, 1969-08-14, Page 4PAGE FOUR
ZURICH CITIZENS NEWS
THURSDAY, AUGUST 14,1969
FAMILY REUNION - Saturday was a big day for Mr. and Mrs.
Louis Ducbarme, of the loth concession, Hay Township, as their
entire family along with all the grand -children were present for a
family reunion. A total of 62 persons were present for the occas-
ion. This has been the first time in some years that the entire
family were able to gather at the same time for such a reunion,
and the day was spent playing games, singing and renewing past
incidents. Their 14 children are seen in the middle row with the
parents, while the sons-in-law and slaughters -in-law are standing
in the back row. In front are the grand -children.
An unexpected guest
My young brother and I are
very close. We always have
been. We slept in the same bed
for years, shared the same
teachers in school, spent our
summers together at the fami-
ly cottage, and fought furious-
ly about such things as who
was going to get the bike that
day.
Even the war didn't keep us
apart. We both served in the
air force and trained as fighter
pilots, sometimes at the same
stations. We were both shot
down. We ended the war with
the same rank. The only real
difference was that he could
put the letters D.F.C. after his
name. But I was able to count-
er that with horror tales about
prison camp,
Yes, we've been very close,
So close that we sometimes
remember to send a card at
Christmas, And we make a
point of corresponding every
three or four years.. And at
least once a decade we have a
visit.
It happened this past week-
end. There's a. lot to "get
caught up on" when you meet
your little brother so seldom.
And boy, did we get caught up!
He arrived Friday evening in
his colonel's uniform, ablaze
with ribbons. That night we
got caught up until 5 a.m. on
Saturday. Saturday night we
did even better, getting caught
up until 7.30 in the Sunday
a.m. And Sunday night we got
caught up until 1.30 a.m.,
when, thanks to a merciful
providence; he had to leave to
catch a bus to catch a plane
back to Colorado Springs and
the panic buttons.
I learned a lot of things.
That I still owed him $9 for
my share of the bike, That his
only child has married a very
wealthy Englishman and has
cars, dogs, servants, the works.
It's the only money in the en-
tire family connection, as far
as I know, but I can't see how
I'm going to get my hands on
any of it.
And I learned (this is how
close our family is) that a fa-
vorite uncle of mine had died
over a month ago, Uncle Omar
had reason to detest me. As an
infant, I had cried lustily and
steadily throughout his mar-
riage, which took place at my
parents' home,
But he forgave, and offered
a big helping hand on a couple
of occasions when I needed it
like plasma. A mule -skinner in
World War I, he worked hard
all his life, did well, had a
loved and loving family and
died peacefully at 75. A good
life.
My kid brother and I con-
jured up a host of forgotten
faces and incidents, most of
them funny. The incidents,
that is, not the faces. We had
some good sport talking Otta-'
wa Valley English, which is
unique on this or any other
continent. We recalled with
pride Mountain Jack Thomson,
a great-uncle who was the ter-
ror of the lumber camps. The
only man who could lick him
was his brother, my grandfa-
ZURICH Citizens NEWS
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About People
Visiting at the home of Mr. and
Mrs. Roy Clarke and fancily
last weekend were Mr. and Mrs.
Bill Durr and Jim Bur; Mickey
McDonald, Mrs. Johnston, Russ
and -Pat Hay, all of Toronto.
Mr. and Mrs. Winston Banks and
Cheryl, Mr. Sin all, Miss Judy
Kraft, Miss heather Maxwell,
Fred Small, all of London, and
also Mr. Byron Clarke of Exeter.
ther.
Perhaps I should envy the
young brother. He's had an ex-
citing, roving life in Europe
and North America. He is com-
pletely bilingual, in excellent
health and will be retiring on a
fairly fat pension,
But I don't. I wouldn't want
to be a serviceman, even a
colonel, put on the shelf in my
prime. He has no home, a scat-
tered family, and must sort
himself out for a new life at a
time when most of us are eas-
ing off a little,
Does he envy me? I live a
comfortable, middle-class life,
own my home, have a good job
and only two rotten kids. No,
he wouldn't touch it with a
ten -foot pole.
And perhaps that's why we
get along so well. No envy,
which can be a destroying ele-
ment in any relationship. Just
brothers who are completely
different in outlook and tem-
perament, but retain the
warmth .of childhood affection
and shared experience,
Another reason we get along
well, o_' course, is that we see
each other so seldom. There
should be a lot more of this
(that is, not seeing each other)
among families. They'd last
longer and finish stronger.
But next time he visits, I
think I'll arrange for a couple
of hospitalbedsin advance.
We'd never make it through
another weekend of "getting
caught up,"
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